Focus on Okehampton and a wealth of history

Ten things to do in Okehamton 

Okehampton lies on the north-west edge of Dartmoor and has been settled since the Bronze Age. The town has a wealth of history to explore, as well as being an independent shopping haven.

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1. Town Trail

This is an excellent way to get to know the town. An illustrated map is available from the Tourist Information Centre in Museum Yard (open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm). The trail starts here and takes you over the West Okemont River and on an historical tour of the town. It’s an easy walk and there are plenty of cafés and pubs along the way to keep up your strength.

2. The Museum of Dartmoor Life

Situated next to the Tourist Information Centre, the museum is open from April to October, Monday to Saturday, from 10.15am to 4.30pm. For Sunday and winter opening times ring 01837 52295. The museum contains a wealth of information about Okehampton through ages and has a replica of a Bronze Age hut and a room containing old farm machinery and equipment. It gives an amazing insight of how people lived, worked and survived before the days of electricity and central heating.

3. Victorian Arcade

This glass-covered arcade was built at the end of Victoria’s reign in 1901 and contains some interesting, independent shops, including Cargo Cult, which looks like an Aladdin’s cave packed with ethnic ladies’ wear and casual bags. You may want to stop for coffee, lunch or tea with home made cakes and scones at the Dartmoor Tea Room, or browse the antiques in Past & Present.

4. Red Lion Yard

The little alley leading to the shopping precinct houses The Vegetable Garden, which stocks a wide selection of local fruit and veg plus ostrich eggs from the farmers’ market. These delicacies are a meal in themselves, as they are much larger than a hen’s egg. One ostrich egg can make omelettes for ten, but if you are boiling it, be prepared for a long wait – cooking takes forty-five minutes.

Also in Red Lion Yard are the Panache and Dovecote cafés; Kudos, which sells toys, babywear and adult shoes; Teazels and Abstracts (women’s wear), jewellers and gift shops. Walk through the precinct and you will come to the town’s three supermarkets: Waitrose, Somerfield and Lidl.

5. Simmons Park

Featured on the town trail, this park was laid out by local resident Sydney Simmons (whose statue stands outside the museum) and donated to the town in 1906. It runs alongside the East Okemont river, and there are lovely woodland walks to enjoy in a sheltered location all year round. An interesting feature is the Swiss chalet lodge by the water garden. You can let children run off steam in the adventure playground and or take them round the putting green.

6. Okehampton Railway Station

This is not your average railway station and is more of a work of art with its two-tone green décor, floral displays and café tables on the platform. The station buffet is not normal railway stodge: here you can enjoy hearty home-cooked food from morning coffee through to afternoon tea. During the summer, trains run to the picturesque Meldon Quarry, and to Crediton and Exeter on a Sunday.

7. Meldon Quarry and Reservoir

If you can’t take the train – walk. It’s not far from the station along the Granite Way and takes around 30 minutes. At the quarry you can walk across the elaborate Victorian cast iron viaduct and look down over the quarry, which even on a winter’s day can be bathed in sunlight. The viaduct is the only structure of its kind remaining in the UK. Cross over and walk on to the reservoir, a startling clear blue pool surrounded by gentle hills. A map showing four walks is available from the Tourist Information Centre.

8. Okehampton Castle

Okehampton Castle, which presides over the town from a high mound to the south, is said to be one of the first to be built in the South West because William the Conqueror wanted to quell the rebellious Saxons. The castle is now in ruins, but you can clearly see how it was designed, almost in the shape of a boat, sandwiched between the West Okemont river and its small tributary stream. The castle is only open from 1 April to 30 September, but you can still see much of the ruins from the outside.

9. Cycling

Bikes can be hired from Devon Cycle Hire at Sourton Down, just off the A30. Tel 01837 861141 during the winter to reserve a bike; just turn up in the summer. From here you can cycle north up the Granite Way to Meldon Reservoir or south to Lydford, taking in some spectacular views including Okehampton Castle and across the moors up to Exmoor in the north and Bodmin Moor in the west. A leaflet with a map is available from Okehampton Tourist Information Centre.

10. Highwayman Inn, Sourton

If you’ve been on a cycle ride, you may have worked up a thirst and what better way to quench it than at the 13th-century Highwayman Inn, built in 1282 to provide the stonemasons working on the church opposite with refreshment, and being on the main London route across the moor, it must have seen a highwayman or two in its time. See the stagecoach outside the door or wander out into the garden, where a stream runs through little tunnels. The inn serves freshly prepared hot and cold snacks all year round.

Blue Chip has properties within a half hour drive to Okehampton which are perfect for exploring the town and Dartmoor.

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